Stream-bed-digging device



April 14, 1925. y 1,533,423

` A. JOHNSN Qwuenko@ AJOv/qson l Patented pr. 14, 1925.

u miren STATES AARON JoHNsoN, or OORNING, MISSOURI.

STREM-BED-DIGGNG DEVICE.

Application led Jnly, 1924. Serial No. 724,988.

To all ,1U/wm it may Concern.'

yBe it known that I, AARON JoHN'soN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Corning, in the countyof Holt, State of Missouri, haveinvented a new and useful Stream-Bed-Digging Device', and I do herebydeclare the following to he' a full, clear,- and exact description oftheI invention, such as `will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to vm aire and use the saine.

lThe invention relates to digging and ditching devices for stream bedsand hasw for its object to ,provide a device of this character, which isparticularly adaptedfor use in small streams where sand bars fornirapidly, and one with which the channel of with the first mentionedshaft, and to provide a plurality ofdigging elements carried bythecranks f the/crank shaft and having their rear ends provided? with ayol're slidably mounted and guidedon the driven shaft. Also to providepositive driving'means for the oppositey ends of the drivenshaft, andthe crank` shaft whereby. duringv the digging operation the crank shaftand driven shaftw-ill be positively driven and relieved fromtwistingstrain incident to the intermittent di gging and raisingof thedigging' elements. A further Objectis to provide adjacent opposite sidesof the boat windlass drums which rotate together andfhave cableconnections withy the free en d. of the pivoted frame and form meanswhereby said frame may be elevated or lowered to various positions withthe weight thereof supported by the cables at opposite corners thereot`for preventing a twisting action on the frame an'dfbinding ormisalinement of the shaft.

lith the above and other objects in view the invention resides inthecombination' and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shownin the drawing, described and claimed, it being understood that changesin thc precise embodiment ofy the invention may be made within the scopeof what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing Figure l is ja side elevation of the dredging andditching machine.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the machine.

Figure 3 isa front elevation of the machine showinga Vverticaltransverse sectional view through a stream bed.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the; digging elements. i

Referring to thev drawing, the numeral l designates the hull of the boatwhich may be of any desired type, and mayv be propelled in any suitablemanner, however itis preferably of the barge or scow type shown whichdraws the minimum amount ofnater. Extending upwardly from the hull ladjacent the forward end thereof' are bearing' members 2, in whichbearing members is rotatably mounted a transversely disposed drivenshaft 3, on which shaft is pivotally mounted the side barsV 4' of adownwardlyv and forwardly extending digger curryinig frame 5. Bars 4 arebraced ,in relation t each other and held in spaced parallel relation bytransversely disposed bars 6, therefore it will bel seen that the frame5 is a rigid one. By pivotally mounting; the frame 5 on the transverselydisposed shaft 3, it will be seen that the frame as a whole may beraised or lowered at its free end' by the cables 7, which are connectedto the outer ends of the bars-il and extend upwardly over pulleys Scarried by pivoted masts 9. and which cables extend downwardly arounddrums l() mountedon the deck of the hull l', in a manner wherel'iy whenthc drums ll), which are securedon the rotafahlil shaft ll are rotated,equal strains will he imparted on the cables 7, consequently the frame 5will1 not have a twisting action diagonally which will cause the same tohind on the driven shaft The shaft il has its opposite ends providedYwith cranks 1Q, therefore it will be seen that the operator may adjustthe free end ofthe frame atvarious distances from the bottom 13 of thestream 14.

R'otatably mounted in the forward ends of the side bars 4 of the' frameis a transversely disposed crank shaft l5 which crank shaft is providedwith a. plurality of cranks 1'6 extending' in opposite directions and inLili the same plane, and pivotally connected to said cranks 16 by meansof bearing members 17 are digger bars 18, the free ends of which areintermittently forced downwardly Aand raised during a digging operationin the bottom of a stream as clearly shown in Figure 1. By providing aplurality of cranks 16, extending in opposite directions, it will beseen that during the rotation of the crank shaft a digging action willtake place at all times, and the ground piercing elements 19 carried bythe digging members 18 will dig yinto the ground and loosen the same ina manner whereby it may be removed in any suitable manner or allowed todrift off incident to the current in the stream, which is particularlytrue where sand bars form in the stream and change the course of thecurrent thereof.

Secured to the upper sides of the rear ends of the digger bars 18 areinverted U-shaped members 20, which members arch the transverselydisposed shaft 3, and guide the rear end of the bars 18 on the shaftsduring the rotation and reciprocation thereof, and maintain the rearends of thel bars at substantially the same elevation during the diggingoperation, and it will be seen by the sliding connection of the bars 18with the shaft 3 that during the rotation of the cranks 16, not onlydownward digging action is imparted on the members 19, but during therearward movement thereof a slight prying action takes place, therebydislodging and breakinginaterial on the bottom of the stream. Crankshaft 15 is positively driven at both ends thereof by means of sprocketchains 21 at opposite sides of the frame which sprocket chains extendover sprockets 22 carried by the ends of the crank shaft 15 and oversprockets 23 carried bythe ends of the rotatable shaft 3, therefore itwill be seen that a twisting strain ,will not take place on the 4frameas the strain is equally distrilnilted at opposite sides thereoftlnfough the sprocket chain drive connection, consequently binding ofany of the parts which Aare pivotally or slidably mounted on the shaft 3will be obviated. Mounted on the hull 1 is a conventional form of engine24, which engine may be a gas engine if desired and rotates atransversely disposed drive shaft 25. The ends of the drive shaft 25 areprovided with sprockets 26, which sprockets have extending thereoversprocket chains 27 which also extend over sprockets 28 carried by theends of the shaft 3, therefore it will be seen that the shaft 3 ispositively driven at both ends thereof. Pivoted masts 9 are pivotallyconnected at 29 to the hull of the boat and are provided with removablebraces 30, which braces normally maintain the masts 9 in verticalpositions, but at the same time when removed allow the masts to befolded onto the hull so that the digging device may be moved underbridges and the like.

From the above it will be seen that a digging and dredging machine isprovided which is particularly adapted for use in small streams and onewherein an intermittent digging and prying action will take place. Itwill also be seen that power is transmitted over the pivoted frame tothe digging elements in a manner whereby the strain is equallydistributed over the frame, and also in a manner whereby the powerconnections will not interfere with the pivotal movement of the frame inadjusting the same to various elevations in relation to the bottom of astream.

The invention having been set. forth what is claimed as new and usefulis 1. A river bottom excavating machine comprising a hull, a straighttransversely disposed shaft rotatably mounted in bearings adjacent oneend of the hull, means for rotating said shaft, said means driving theshaft from opposite ends thereof, a frame pivotally mounted on saidtransversely disposed shaft and extending downwardly, a crank shaftcarried by the free end of the frame, driving connections betweenv thecrank shaft and the first mentioned shaft adjacent the opposite sides ofthe fra-me, a

plurality of bars carried by said crank shaft, digging elements carriedby the lower ends of said bars, the rear ends of said bars beingprovided with yokes arching the straight transversely disposed shaft andhaving a slidable connection on said shaft and means for raising andlowering said p'ivoted frame at its free end. l

2. A river bottom excavating machine comprising a hull, a straighttransversely disposed shaft carried by said hull, means for driving saidshaft at the ends thereof, a frame pivotally mounted on said shaft, acrank shaft carried by the free end of the frame, digging elementscarried by the cranks of the crank shaft, said digging elements beingprovided with slidable connections with the straight transverselydisposed shaft, driving connections between the transversely disposedshaft` and the crank shaft at opposite sides of the frame, cablesconnected to the opposite sides of the frame adjacent its free end andmeans for simultaneously imparting pulls on said cables for raising andlowering the free end of the frame and prevent-ing a twisting strain onthe straight transversely disposed shaft and crank shaft.

3. A river bottom excavating machine comprising a hull, a straighttransversely disposed rotatable drive shaft carried adjacent one end ofsaid hull, a frame pivotally mounted on said drive shaft, a crank shaftcarried by `the free end of said frame, sprocket and chain drivingconnections be- 1,533,423 fig tween the straight transversely disposedshaft and the crank shaft and disposed at opposite sides of the frame,bars pvotally mounted on the crank shaft, said bars being pivotally andslidably connected to the straight transversely disposed shaft at theirrear ends, said pivotal and slidable connections forming means wherebyduring the rotation of the crank shaft L prying action will be impartedon digger elements carried 10 by the digger bars.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresenre of tWo suiiscl'ribing` witnesses.

AARON JOHNS( N.

VitneSseS:

JoHiT XV. SMITH, JOHN A. WILSON.

